Spring Classics Wrap: Tom Boonen, Specialized, and New Bikes

With Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, the 2012 Spring Classics season drew to a close, and there were two big winners this year.

Tom Boonen, of the newly merged Omega Pharma-Quickstep team, swept up all three cobbled classics, with sprints from small bunches in the Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem and a decisive solo attack at Paris-Roubaix. It's vindication for the 31-year-old Belgian, who had faced criticism for a lack of big results in the past couple of years after a spate of injuries, scandals, and lackluster form. With his winning spring campaign—the Belgian also picked off the Semi-Classic E3 Harelbeke—Boonen tied the career records for Flanders and Roubaix victories (three and four, respectively) and became the first-ever rider to twice complete the Flanders/Roubaix season double.

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